Events

On This Day - July 19

HMS Umpire left Chatham on 19th July 1941 bound for the Clyde prior to joining the 3rd Submarine Flotilla at Dunoon. Having stopped over night at Sheerness she joined up with a northbound convoy, although she was not part of the convoy escort.

Umpire developed mechanical problems and began to fall behind the convoy which was kept informed of the submarines progress by radio. At midnight the northbound convoy passed a southbound convoy as expected but Umpire following behind was surprised to see the convoys pass starboard to starboard rather than the normal port to port. Umpire altered her course to port as the first few vessels passed to Umpire's starboard side but the trawler Peter Hendriks remained on a collision course.

As the two vessels came together a gash was torn in Umpire's side sending her to the bottom. 22 of her crew went down with the ship

HMS Tuna fires 6 torpedoes at the German tanker Benno escorted by the German minesweepers M 18, M 25, M 27 and M 30 60 nautical miles north-west of the Gironde estuary. Although six detanations were heard all torpedoes missed their target.